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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pop — to visit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. clip — a video
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kid — to tease
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. clip — for paper
  20. kid — child
  21. rock — music
  22. pit — a hole
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. suit — clothes

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com